Vitamins and Minerals in the Diet

No one food has all of the vitamins and minerals, so you need to eat a variety of foods. Food preparation, medications, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and stress can all affect the amount of nutrient available to the body. For example, drinking coffee or tea with meals can decrease iron absorption and taking antibiotics can increase your Vitamin B needs.

Some cooking tips to minimize vitamin and mineral losses include:

Use just enough water to prevent burning.

Cook vegetables only until they are crisp and tender.

Steam or stir-fry foods to retain the most vitamins.

Cut and cook vegetables shortly before serving or store them in an airtight container.

The nutrient content of many foods can be found on food labels. Also, you can look up information for most foods on the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) web site (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ foodcomp/data) or consult a dietitian or nutritionist.